The Works of Lori Carlson

Deadly Lies by Chris Patchell is an unusual crime/thriller novel. It is told in two voices – Jill’s and Alex’s. Jill is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by her stepfather. Alex is a detective in Seattle PD. Although they are a married couple of five years, the two have been living separate lives as their jobs keep them both busy. While Jill has an affair with her boss, Alex works to find the killer of his ex-girlfriend’s sister and who has also threatened everyone Alex loves. Jill’s life begins to spiral out of control when her boss abruptly ends their affair and threatens to end Jill’s career. This leads Jill down a road of unfortunate and deadly events which further threatens her marriage to Alex and her personal freedom. Alex successfully tracks down the killer only to have the killer slip through his fingers a couple of times. Once Alex finally gets the killer in custody, he learns the dangerous, deadly game Jill has been playing. Then the killer is released and everyone’s lives are again in danger. Meanwhile, Alex has to decide what to do about Jill and as the two are in the middle of that confrontation, the killer shows up in an exciting, yet sad conclusion.

Patchell creates intriguing, solid characters. Jill is vulnerable, yet hardened from hatred of her stepfather. Alex is steady, loyal and honorable. Although I was shocked by some of Jill’s actions, I could understand why she did some of the things she did. Jill’s character, while not completely likable, actually became my favorite. Alex’s character seemed a bit naive at times, but Patchell set him up as such a good detective, I wasn’t at all surprised at how easily he discovered what Jill had been up to. The scene building was also well done, as were the characterizations, descriptions and settings. All in all, this was a complete package. If you want a great thriller that gives you some shocking, exciting moments, this is definitely the novel for you.

I Can Kill by Angela Kay is an exciting FBI Thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat to the final scene. Kay weaves a chilling tale of a serial killer known as the Carnations Killer who delights in taunting FBI Special Agent Aidan O’Reilly, who has been chasing this psychopath for ten years and across numerous states. With over fifty known kills under his belt and back from a hiatus, the killer has moved his hunting grounds close to Aidan’s home turf and this time, Aidan has sworn to finally catch him. The killer’s MO is sadistic and cruel. He kidnaps blonde women, brutally beats them over a period of a week and then strangles them. He leaves them in easy to find locations, posed and dressed in a black dress with white carnations placed upon their bodies. Aidan is haunted by the women who’ve been murdered. His job is affecting his sleep and his relationship with his girlfriend. The killer is meticulous and clever. He never leaves clues, no fingerprints or fibers. As Aidan and his partner Shaun Henderson work the case, the killer continues to taunt Aidan with messages left at crime scenes. They finally get a big break in the case, but only because the killer has upped the ante – he’s kidnapped Aidan’s girlfriend and left a big clue behind. Can Aidan discover who the killer is and find Cheyenne before she becomes the Carnations Killer’s latest victim?

This is the third Kay novel I’ve read and she continues to delight me with her intricate characters, clever twists and surprise endings. I’ve yet to guess who the killer is until all the clues are in and she has revealed the killer. I am a huge fan of serial killer novels and this one does not disappoint. I love that Kay allows us into the mind of the killer and we get to witness his interactions with his victims as well as with his family. Oh yes, he has a wife, a daughter and holds down a job. Kay also does a wonderful job of character building with Aidan O’Reilly and those who interact with him – his girlfriend, his partner, and his bosses. Her scenes are well-written and described, sometimes almost too graphic and chilling (not for me, but for those who may be squeamish though). You can tell that Kay definitely did her homework on this novel. Although this is a quick read (306 pages), do not be fooled by it’s shortness in length. This novel is jammed packed with twists and turns and lots of surprises. I highly recommend this novel.

Note: I was given a free copy of this novel for a fair and honest review.

About the Book

I Can Kill, and You Can’t Catch Me…

These were the last words The Carnations Killer said to FBI Special Agent Aidan O’Reilly ten years ago before he went into hiding. He has tortured and murdered fifty women since then and managed to elude capture. Now, he’s returned once again, and his new hunting ground is Augusta, GA.

O’Reilly teams up with Shaun Henderson, the special agent in charge of the Augusta Resident Agency, to bring this ruthless killer to justice once and for all. But as each second ticks by, tensions rise and O’Reilly finds himself in a race against time before the killer slips away again.

Testimonial

“A gripping new thriller by Angela Kay that pits FBI Special Agent Aidan O’Reilly against the Carnations Killer, a serial killer who enjoys playing Cat and Mouse with this formidable agent.” — Dana Ridenour, retired FBI Agent and award winning author of Behind The Mask and Beyond The Cabin

Other Novels by Angela Kay

About the Author

Equipped with a professional writing degree from Augusta State University, Angela Kay always had the imagination and passion of a writer. She has written many, many short stories in her lifetime, most of which won’t ever see the light of day!

During college, her playwright professor had urged her to submit her one-act play to a 2009 playwright contest. To her shock and glory, she was one of 23 across the United States to win for her one-act entitled “Digging Deeper.” Because of this, she was able to spend a week in Atlanta at the Horizon Theater Company.

She’d begun writing her first novel, The Murder of Manny Grimes in 2009 during a Creative Writing college course. The first draft was well-received by her peers and professor. After seven years of writing and re-writing, the final draft of Manny Grimes became so unrecognizable and so different from the direction she initially went in. Finally, finding the nerves to show it to the public, Angela published it in 2016 with ThomasMax Publishing. A year later, she followed it up with a second book, Blood Runs Cold.

Realizing how difficult it is to break into the whole writing scheme, Angela began a blog to help other authors, many of which deserve glory. Between her busy life and keeping up with her writing, she enjoys reading and reviewing books written by both traditional authors and independent authors.

Angela draws her inspiration from international bestselling author, Steven James, as well as Agatha Christie and James Patterson.

About the Book

SUMMARY: Humanity has reached a defining point in our spiritual history, yet many are unaware that our world is changing from the Age of Darkness to the Age of Light at this very moment. The Spiritual Awakening Process: Coming Out of the Darkness and Into the Light supports our individual journeys towards consciousness and expands our shamanic powers and deep, intuitive wisdom. This nonfiction book will help readers understand, and fully engage in, the worldwide awakening currently taking place: an awakening that offers hope, healing, and ultimately, unity. Vibrant, evocative, and carefully detailed, The Spiritual Awakening Process speaks to the shaman in us all—and it’s also how we return America to its divine destiny.

THE BACK STORY: This book was written at the suggestion of a friend who is an intuitive, who picked me up in her car one weekend and took me to her home in the Santa Cruz mountains. On the drive over to her mountain home I resisted the idea of writing a second book. (No way was I going to do that!) But then the next morning I woke up in her guest room with a plan for the new book, along with the idea that I could complete it in about three months. The book took a little over three months to research and write. Once I started it, helpful synchronicities happened daily that allowed me to complete it in record time. The book was updated in December 2016 and produced into a Kindle book and paperback in January 2017.

WHY THIS TITLE?: The main title is self-evident. There’s also astronomy in the book that proves the point of the subtitle.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO READ IT?: This book explains in easy-to-understand, simple language the what, how and why of spiritual awakening. Anyone who is a truth seeker will want to read this book.

REVIEW COMMENTS (excerpts):

1. “A Lot of Great Information in a Small Space”—Retired Techie

2. “There’s a lot of timely information and solid wisdom in this work, and for that reason I recommend it as a spiritual growth resource.”—Jeff Maziarek

3. “Brilliant read! Christine Hoeflich is an innovative genius! This book is filled with the truth and should be read by everyone on planet Earth! Thank you Christine, for taking a risk and putting it out there! I know the universe will pay you back! Xxoo”—Kerry M. Hegarty

4. “A how to book explaining the important factors needed for raising consciousness, a necessary step to attain Spiritual Awakening.”—Ulla Jacobs

About the Author

Christine Hoeflich is also the author of What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening (the original hardcover title; Reconnected: A Spiritual Awakening Memoir is the Kindle title). A former materials engineer, she has developed the steps needed for strengthening the relationship with our higher self, gaining trust in our intuition, accessing Interconnectedness, and understanding our soul’s bigger plan. Her memoir was recognized by North Atlantic Books as “One of 4 Notable Spiritual Awakening Memoirs,” along with Eat Pray Love, The Happiness Project, and Star Sister. Christine has written articles, blogged and tweeted on spiritual awakening and personal growth. About nine months after setting up her Twitter account, she was recognized by Mashable in their article, “Nonfiction Tweets: 70+ Authors to Follow on Twitter,” in the Creative Nonfiction category. She was also recognized by CreativeClass.com (online college degrees) in their article, “100 Amazingly Insightful People You Can Learn from on Twitter,” in the Words of Wisdom and Inspiration” category, along with Oprah and Deepak Chopra. Christine has a blog where she writes about spiritual awakening at ChristineHoeflich.com. You may reach her through her blog.

AUTHOR COMMENTS: My intention is to offer readers words of comfort and hope regarding the state of our world, to spare them a ton of confusion and pain, and to empower them and bring them joy.

Dear friends, readers, and fellow writers, I’ve just received this email from Sundress Publications. If you have a chapbook manuscript in the works, or already written, here’s your chance to win a publishing competition. Good luck!

Sundress Publications is pleased to announce its fourth annual chapbook contest. Authors of all genres are invited to submit qualifying manuscripts during our reading period of February 1 to April 15, 2017.

What We’re Looking For
We are looking for poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or any combination thereof. Manuscripts must be between twelve to twenty-six (12-26) pages in length, with a page break between individual pieces. Individual pieces may have been previously published in anthologies, print journals, online journals, etc., but cannot appear in any full-length collection, including self-published collections. Both single-author and collaborative dual-author manuscripts will be considered. A unifying element is encouraged but not required. Manuscripts must be primarily in English; translations are not eligible.

Entry Fee & Prize
The entry fee is $10 per manuscript, though the fee will be waived for entrants who purchase or pre-order any Sundress title from our store.

The winner will receive a $200 prize, plus publication as a beautiful full-color PDF available exclusively online for free. Runners-up will also be considered for publication.

Our JudgeThis year’s judge will be Darren C. Demaree. Demaree lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children. He is the author of six poetry collections and the recipient of nine Pushcart nominations. Currently, he is the managing editor of the Best of the Net Anthology and Ovenbird Poetry.

Submission Guidelines
All manuscripts should include a cover page (with only the title of the manuscript), table of contents, dedication (if applicable), and acknowledgements for previous publications. These pages will not be included in the total page count. Identifying information should not be included in any part of the manuscript. Authors with a significant relationship to the judge (friends, relatives, colleagues, past or present students, etc.) are discouraged from entering. We are dedicated to a fair judging process that emphasizes the quality of the writing, not the résumé of the author.

Simultaneous submissions to other presses is acceptable, but please notify Sundress immediately if the manuscript has been accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are allowed, but a separate entry fee must accompany each entry. No revisions will be allowed during the contest judging period. Winners will be announced in Summer 2017.

About the Book

An archaeological dig under the streets of London unearths a Roman Centurion’s 2000-year-old letter which throws doubt on and threatens the foundations of Christian doctrine and modern society. Is it possible the New Testament is a forgery promulgated by the Roman Catholic Church? In a desperate effort to assess the validity of the letter’s contents, a team of scholars including Dr. Peter Clemens, a devout Christian, and Sam Wykoff, an avowed atheist, track the First Century itinerary of Roman Legion XX through England and the Near East travels of Apostle Paul upon whose writings the centurion’s letter was based. In the process, the team encounters danger and subterfuge at every turn. An antichrist group anxious to discredit the Bible, and religious zealots eager to protect the status quo by attempting to stop or kill them are just a few of the obstacles they must overcome.

Excerpts from A Critical Review of Forbidden Chronicles of a Roman Centurion by Jim Booth

A bit like a mystery, a bit like a thriller, John Chaplick’s Forbidden Chronicles of a Roman Centurion explores some profound ideas while it seeks to accomplish an elusive and difficult task. A Roman centurion who knew the apostle Paul sends his son a letter which is discovered twenty centuries later in an archaeological dig under the streets of London. The discovery challenges the validity of the New Testament and sends a team of scholars across England and Asia Minor in search of the truth.

In its Da Vinci Code like narrative Chaplick’s novel challenges the reader with at times almost dauntingly philosophical and theological discussions among its main characters, including a theologian and an avowed atheist. There is action, danger, mystery, and even a little romance as the team encounters both hard core zealots who fear opposition to the Bible, and evil cultists who eager to discredit it.

The reader will find him/herself both entertained and enlightened by John Chaplick’s novel. One can ask for no more.

About the Author

A former auditor and partner in an international CPA firm, John Chaplick is an instructor in the field of forensic and investigative accounting. His experience includes a specialty in fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. He was the founder and president of his own business for eighteen years before he retired and made his home in Lutz, Florida.

He has published technical articles in various professional journals, and his mystery and romance novels are based upon his extensive corporate and professional experience. An Elder in the Presbyterian Church, John’s biblical studies have included research on the life of the apostle Paul. John holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. He is a leader in the Florida Writers Association.

John also teaches writing classes at the Life Enrichment Center in Tampa, and at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USF.